Nokia was looking to reinvent smartphone imaging when it released its Lumia 1020 and established a new benchmark with a 41-megapixel sensor. “We want to take people on a journey from capturing pictures to recording and sharing their lives,” said Stephen Elop, president and CEO, Nokia. “The Nokia Lumia 1020 will bring new meaning to pictures.”

The Lumia 1020’s 41MP sensor works with its Zeiss optics with six lenses, plus optical image stabilization and a xenon flash, to deliver even in low light. It’s built to capture blur-free Full HD video with distortion-free stereo sound, thanks to Nokia Rich Recording, which handles sound pressure levels six times louder than conventional smartphone mikes.

And, the smartphone’s PureView technology combines with an application called Nokia Pro Camera, which was developed to make it easy for anyone to take pro images. Via its interface, you can visually see how settings changes affect your photos or video. You can capture full-resolution photos, zoom into details, and reframe them as new images to share with friends. Plus, you can adjust focus, white balance, and exposure with easy, intuitive controls.

Using a feature called dual capture, the smartphone simultaneously takes a 38MP image for editing and a 5MP picture for easy sharing on social networks with Windows Phone 8. The features of Windows Phone make it the perfect platform for the Lumia 1020, offering a dedicated camera button, showcasing live images on the start screen with photos tile, sharing to social networks, and easy access to files across various devices with SkyDrive.

The 1020 sports a large 4.5-inch display screen to frame and view images, and Nokia offers an optional camera grip ($79) with a tripod mount. The accessory complements device features usually reserved for stand-alone cameras, like the phone’s mechanical shutter.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 comes in yellow, white, and black, with prices starting at $149.99, depending on carrier and contract. nokia.com